Michele Burke February, 2012

While everyone is busy working to use more holistic recipes into their family’s diets, a lot of times we forget about our four legged friends. Here is just one of the recipes I personally feed my dogs, and their vet says it has really done wonders for them.

Turkey Special Recipe

Ingredients

•1 lb. ground turkey

> •6 c. water
>
>  •2 c. brown rice
>
>  •1/2 c. of frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflowers.

•1 t. dried rosemary

Place the water, ground turkey, rice, and rosemary into a large saucepan. Stir until the turkey is broken up and evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to low. Let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes, before adding the frozen vegetables and cooking for an additional 5 minutes.

Tags: cooking, Recipes, turkey

• Recipes

Heather Miles August, 2011

Merry Meet and welcome to my Kitchen Hearth. Come and sit for a spell while we whip up something yummy.

This month we will be looking at some preserves. Fruit and veggie preserves. I am giving the recipes only as I have touched on the canning methods in past articles or you can look online at this link… http://www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm

Tomato Preserve

Ingredients

• 1 pound yellow pear tomatoes
• 1 pound sugar
• 2 ounces chopped or shredded ginger
• 2 lemons

Instructions

Peel tomatoes, cover with sugar, and let stand over night. In the morning pour off syrup and boil until quite thick; skim, then add tomatoes, ginger, and lemons which have been sliced and the seeds removed. Cook until tomatoes have a clarified appearance.

Apricot Jalapeno Jelly

1/2 cup jalapeno peppers — stems & seeds removed ( use other types if you want a hotter preserve.)
1 large red bell pepper — stem & seeds removed
2 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 dried apricots — chopped
6 cups sugar
3 ounces liquid pectin
4 drops red food color ( omit if you want true color)

Put jalapenos, bell pepper, & vinegar in blender. Puree until coarsely ground and small chunks remain. Combine apricots, sugar, & jalapeno/pepper/vinegar mixture in large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil rapidly, 5 minutes. Remove from heat; skim off any foam that forms. Allow mixture to cool for 2 minutes. Then mix in pectin (and food coloring if you’re going to use it). Pour into sterilized jars, follow canning instructions.

Kiwi – strawberry Jam Recipe

2 cups chopped kiwi
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 package pectin
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
4 cups sugar

Combine kiwi, strawberries, pectin and apple juice in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4th inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. follow canning instructions. Yield: about 4 half-pints.

Pineapple Jelly
Makes about 2 pints

4 cups sugar
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
2 cans crushed pineapple — 8 oz cans
1 pouch (3oz) Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin — do not use powder

Add the sugar, pineapple, and lime juice to a sauce pan. Bring to a full rolling boil. Add the liquid pectin and bring back to a full rolling boil. Let cool slightly and pour into clean containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Simple Jalapeno Jelly Recipe

3 jalapeno peppers with seeds removed, chopped finely
4 medium bell peppers with seeds removed chopped coarsely
1 cup of vinegar
5 cups of sugar
3 oz. jar of pectin

cook the peppers and vinegar in a 4 quart pan until soft. Add the sugar and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add pectin then return to heat and boil for 1 more minute. Fill jelly jars. Follow canning instruction.

Apple Pie Jam
4 cups tart apples, chopped
unsweetened apple juice
1  tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
4 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1 (1 3/4 oz) box dry pectin
1 tsp. butter

Measure apples in a measuring cup, and then add in the same measuring cup applejuice to fill up to the 4 cup line (with the apples in it). Put into a heavy saucepan. Add pectin, butter, spices and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.

Add sugars and bring back to a full rolling boil, and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and skim off any foam.

Ladle into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4? . Put on lids, and follow canning instructions.

Mulled Apple Jelly
Makes approximately 5 small jarfuls.

Ingredients
2.25 lbs of apples – a mixture of cookers and eaters works well
water
1 quart apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
12 cloves
1/3 cup cider vinegar
granulated sugar

Method

Roughly chop the apples and place in pan. There is no need to peel and core. Cover with apple juicer (I used a little over 1 qt) and add spices. Bring to the boil and then simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

Pour into a  jelly bag suspended over a large bowl. Leave to strain for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Don’t be tempted to prod or squeeze the jelly bag to get more juice out as this will make the jelly cloudy.

Measure out the juice and return to the pan along with 1 lb sugar for every 1 pint of juice. I found I had exactly 2 pints of juice so used 2 lbs sugar but obviously this will vary depending on how juicy your apples were, how long you strained them and how much apple juice you used.

Stir in the cider vinegar and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for approximately 10 minutes until setting point is reached.

Pour into warm, sterilized jars, follow canning instructions.  Keep in the fridge once opened and used within 3 weeks.

Summer berry and lemon verbena jelly

1 lb plus about 2 oz. berries – any or all of the following: raspberries, blackberries, red currants. This recipes used a mixture of about 70% raspberries, 25% red currants, and 5% blackberries.

1 lb white sugar

1 tsp pectin (see Notes)

1 large handful, or a couple of sprigs, of lemon verbena

Wash and sort the berries. If you are using red currants, carefully pick off all the stems.
Put the berries and sugar into the stainless steel or other non-reactive pan. Mash and let it macerate for about half an hour.
In the meantime, put a plate into the refrigerator to make it very cold.
Mix the pectin in with the fruit. Turn on the heat, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, and cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring up the bottom periodically to keep from burning. Skim off the scum that forms on the top.
For the last 10 minutes of cooking, drop in the lemon verbena.
Drop a bit of the jam liquid onto the cold plate. If it forms a skin almost immediately, it’s done.
Fish out the lemon verbena leaves. Pass the jam mixture a ladleful at a time through a time through a sieve or strainer, taking out all the seeds.
Can using your favorite canning method.

Notes: This recipe has used pectin, which is a natural jellifying agent. Berries in general don’t have much pectin, and it’s needed in this case to make it ‘jell’ enough. You may also be able to find something called sugar for jam making, which has pectin already mixed in. This version (with 1 teaspoon per 1lb fruit) results in a fairly runny jelly, which is great for using on yogurt and ice cream, but if you prefer a firmer jelly you will need more pectin. Follow the package directions.
If you don’t mind the seeds, especially if you don’t use red currants which have rather large seeds, you can skip the straining step. In that case you will have a jam rather than a jelly.

Grapefruit and Vanilla Marmalade

3 large grapefruits ( ruby red work best)
3 cups water
4 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
2 tablespoons rose water or lemon juice

Set a large pot of water to boil. Cut off the peel of the grapefruits, working to get good thick slices, but leaving the inner white pith closest to the fruit still attached to the fruit. Cut the peels into strips. Blanch the peels by submersing them in boiling water for about three minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under running water. Bring a fresh pot of water to a boil and repeat the blanching process again, to remove any bitterness. Drain and rinse again.
Place the peels in a large pot. Cut off all the white pith from the remaining fruits then, working over the pot, cut between the grapefruit membranes so that the fruit sections fall into the pot. Squeeze juice from the membranes and discard them.
Add the water and sugar to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring to combine. Lower the heat to a very low simmer. Simmer until the marmalade is thick and translucent, about one hour. The marmalade may still appear a touch watery- keep in mind it will thicken as it cools.
Add the vanilla bean seeds and simmer another five minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the rose water (or lemon) and set aside to cool. Follow canning instructions or use within 3-4 weeks

And lastly .. I am not even sure where this recipe came from. I am sure if I searched my cookbooks or the web I would find it.. but yummo!!!

Onion Marmalade
4 lbs onions (sliced thin)
3 slices bacon (thick cut)
2 cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cup red wine
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Place a large, non-reactive pan over medium-low heat cook the bacon. The goal is to render the fat. Once the bacon has crisped, remove.
Turn up the heat to high to medium- high, add the onions, salt and olive oil. Stir to coat all the onions with the oil and bacon fat. Cook covered with a tight lid for about 20 minutes. Continue to cook stirring every 5 to 10 minutes until the onions begin to turn golden brown.
Add the sugar, brown sugar, red wine, and balsamic vinegar. Cook over medium heat until very thick. To test if it’s the right consistency, dribble a bit of the reduction on a plate and it still liquid, but slowly slips down the plate after it cools briefly. You can also look to for doneness by dragging a spoon against the bottom of the pot. If it leaves a long valley, then its done. WARNING: Do not walk away from this once it begins to get close. There is enough sugar in this that it can burn and forever attach to the bottom of your pan..
Remove from heat and let cool before storing.
Place in a glass or heat resistant container. Cover and refrigerate.
This is both acidic and high in sugar, so its excellent for long term storage. It keeps in the fridge well for at least 2 months.
ome of the fat may become solid at the top after cooling. I simply scrape it off and dispose of it.
Additionally, if the marmalade become too thick after cooling, simply reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds and it will then spread very easily.

Until next month
Merry Cooking and Blessed Eating
The Hearthkeeper

PS. If there is anything you would like to see here.. Please email me at  thehearthkeeper@gmail.com

Blessed be…

Tags: cooking, food, Recipes

• Recipes

Michele Burke July, 2011

Lughnasadh Honey Muffins

1 C. Milk

½ C. Strained Wildflower Honey

½ C. Raw Sugar

3 C. Oat Flour

3 t. Baking Powder

¾ t. Sea Salt

¾ t. Powdered Grapefruit seed

1 C. Blackberries washed and drained

3 Eggs Well Beaten

¼ C/ Melted Butter

Blend milk, honey, and sugar. Combine with sifted dry ingredients. Add eggs and butter, mix lightly but quickly fold in blackberries; bake in well greased muffin tins at 375* degrees for approximately 20 mins.

With Lughnasadh soon to be upon us this recipe is sure to become a favorite.

Tags: Honey Muffins, lughnasadh, sabbat

• Recipes

E.R. Allen June, 2011

Sunflower Sunburst Cookies

Photo by Kazuhiko Teramoto, used with Creative Commons license
Link to photo

Now is the time to hit your farmer’s market to enjoy the Sun’s hard work! We are coming into summer squashes, corn, tomatoes, lettuces, cucumbers, peppers, as well as berries, citrus fruits, and melons. This is also a great time to indulge in some local wine or any frilly, fruity drinks.

To honor the Sun, you can choose foods that are the colors of the sun–yellow, white, orange, and red. Cooking over an open fire or grilling tap into the Sun’s heat energy. Sun-dried foods also work in the same way. Spicy foods are also perfect for this time of year.

One flower stands out as a mirror image of the sun, the sunflower. With its radiating yellow petals and sky high stems, it is easy to see the resemblance. These cookies are a great crunchy treat and pack a nutritious punch.

1.             Preheat oven to 350.

2.             In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, 1 tsp lemon zest, 2/3 cup (10 Tbsp + 2 tsp) chilled and cubed butter, 1 Tbsp honey, and 1 egg. Dough will be dry.

3.             Knead by hand, or on low setting, until smooth. Wrap and chill for half an hour.

4.             In a saucepan, heat 2½ Tbsp butter, ¼ cup honey, and 2 Tbsp cream over medium heat. Stir in 1¼ toasted sunflower seeds. Set aside and cool.

5.             Roll out chilled dough and cut into shapes. (See below for ideas)

6.             Place on lined sheet pans and top with 1 tsp of the seed topping.

7.             Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. If desired, top with lemon zest while still hot.

You can use any cookie cutter you like, but sunburst cutters are widely available. In a pinch, use a juice glass to cut round cookies. If you don’t like sunflower seeds, no problem. Bake off the cookies sans topping. When cooled, decorate with a simple icing by mixing powdered sugar and lemon juice for a bright variant. Depending on the size of your cookies, you should get 3-5 dozen. That’s plenty for your Summer Solstice celebration!

Enjoy and Blessed Be!

Tags: cookies, sunflower

• Recipes

Hearthkeeper June, 2011

Merry meet and Welcome to my Kitchen. Come on in and grab a cuppa and see what we can share. This month I am focusing on a different way to use the Bounty of our Mother Earth. The year round bounty that is accessible like it never was in years gone by. And once frozen or dried you may be able to use this beauty and flavor year round.

We do not always think about the flowers of our plants. We focus on the leaves and roots, but forget that the blooms are often as flavorful as the rest of the plant. And many are gorgeous. So this month I am focusing on the edible flowers, both herbs and plants.  I have listed some of the ways you can use them and a fairly large list. I have in no way compiled a complete list. I focused on mainly “flowers” and herbal flowers. You may wish to look further, as you can also use many fruit and vegetable flowers as well. So here we go..I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

How to Clean Edible Flowers:

Gentle shake each flower to dislodge any insects or dirt that may be hidden in the petal folds.
After carefully removing the stamen, wash the flowers under a gentle spray of water or place a strainer in a large bowl of water and gently move around..
Drain and allow them to dry completely on absorbent paper. The flowers will fresh providing they dry quickly and are not exposed to direct sunlight.

How to preserve edible flowers:

To preserve flowers, put them on moist paper and place together in a air tight container or in plastic Ziploc style bag. By using this method certain species can be preserved in the refrigerator for some 10 days.
You can also store the whole flower in a glass of water in the refrigerator overnight.

How to crystallized/candy edible flowers:

You can use candied flowers and petals in a variety of ways – decorate cakes  – all kinds of sweet things, such as ice cream, sherbet or fruit salad.

Ingredients:

1 egg white or powdered egg whites
Superfine granulated sugar –not confectioners sugar.
Thin paintbrush
A variety of flowers such as violets, pansies, johnny-jump-ups, rose petals, etc. ( see list below)
Wire rack covered with wax paper

Directions:
Carefully clean and completely dry the flowers or petals.
Beat the egg white in the small bowl until slightly foamy, you can add a few drops of water to make the egg whites easier to spread.
Paint each flower individually with beaten egg white using the small paintbrush. When thoroughly coated with egg white, sprinkle with superfine sugar.

Place the coated flowers or petals on wax paper on a wire rack. Let dry at room temperature (this could take 12 to 36 hours).. Flowers are completely dry when stiff and brittle to the touch. NOTE: To dry faster, you can place the candied flowers in an oven set at 150 degrees to 200 degrees F with the door ajar for a few hours. Or you can use a food dehydrator if you have access to one.

Store the flowers in layers, separated by tissue paper, in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.

Making Blossom Ice Cubes:

Use cleaned flower blossoms.

Boil water for 2 minutes for all the air trapped in the water to escape. Remove from heat and let the water cool until room temperature. This will ensure that the ice cubes are crystal clear.
Place each blossom at the bottom of each compartment in the ice cube tray. Fill half full with the cooled boiled water and freeze. After the water is frozen solid, fill each ice cube compartment the rest of the way to the top with the remaining boiled water. Freeze until ready to use.

How To Make Herb Flower Butter:

1/2 to 1 cup chopped fresh or dried herb flower petals
1 pound sweet unsalted butter, room temperature
Finely chop herb flowers or petals and mix into softened butter.
To allow the flavors to blend and intensify allow the mixture to stand at room temperature overnight.
Can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks or frozen for several months.

Edible Flower Chart , names and uses:

Begonia - Tuberous begonias
The leaves, flowers, and stems are edible. Begonia blossoms have a citrus-sour taste. The petals are used in salads and as a garnish.
The flowers and stems contain oxalic acid and should not be consumed by individuals suffering from gout, kidney stones, or rheumatism.

Calendula
Also called Marigolds. A wonderful edible flower, flavors range from spicy to bitter, tangy to peppery. Their sharp taste resembles saffron (also known as Poor Man’s Saffron). Sprinkle them on soups, pasta or rice dishes, herb butters, and salads. Petals add a yellow tint to soups, spreads, and scrambled eggs.

Carnations
Carnations can be steeped in wine, candy, or use as cake decoration. To use the surprisingly sweet petals in desserts, cut them away from the bitter white base of the flower. Dianthus are the miniature member of the carnation family with light clove-like or nutmeg scent. Petals add color to salads or aspics.

Clover
Sweet, anise-like, licorice. Raw flower heads can be difficult to digest.

Cornflower
Also called Bachelor’s button. They have a slightly sweet to spicy, clove-like flavor. Bloom can be used as a natural food dye.
Most commonly used as garnish.

Dandelions
Flowers are sweetest when picked young. They have a sweet, honey-like flavor. Dandelion buds are tastier than the flowers: best to pick these when they are very close to the ground, tightly bunched in the center, and about the size of a small gumball. Good raw or steamed. Also made into wine. Young leaves taste good steamed, or tossed in salads.  Mature flowers are bitter.

Garden Sorrel
Sorrel flowers are tart, lemon tasting. So use like a lemon: as a salad topping, in sauces, over cucumber salads.

Honeysuckle
Sweet honey flavor. Only the flowers are edible. NOTE: - Do not eat Berries they are highly poisonous!!

Impatiens
The flowers have a sweet flavor. Use as a garnish in salads or floated in drinks.

Johnny-Jump-Ups
Lovely yellow, white and purple blooms have a mild wintergreen flavor and can be used in salads, to decorate cakes, or served with soft cheese. You can also in drinks, soups, desserts or salads.

Lilac
The flavor of lilacs varies from plant to plant. Very fragrant, slightly bitter and has a distinct lemony taste with floral, pungent overtones. Great in salads and crystallized with egg whites and sugar.

Marigold
The marigold are great in salads as they have a citrus flavor.

Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums rank among most common edible flowers. Blossoms have a sweet, spicy flavor. Stuff whole flowers with savory mousse or pureed chicken salad. The leaves add peppery tang to salads. You can use the entire flowers to garnish platters, salads, cheese tortes and open-faced sandwiches.

Pansy
the flavor is extremely mild if you ably eat the petals, but if you eat the whole flower, there is a strong wintergreen flavor. Use as garnishes, in fruit salads, green salad, od candied on or in desserts.

Peony
Add peony petals to your summer salad or try floating in punches and lemonades.

Roses
Flavors depend on type, color, and soil conditions. Flavor varies from strawberries to green apples. Sweet, with flavors ranging from fruity to minty/spicy. All roses are edible, with the flavor being stronger in the darker varieties. Use the whole bud or flower of the miniature varieties to garnish ice cream and desserts, or sprinkle larger petals on desserts or salads. Freeze in ice cubes and float them your punch bowl. Petals can be used in syrups, jellies, and sweet spreads. Be sure to remove the bitter white portion of the petals before you use them..

Violets
Related to Johnny jump-ups or violas and pansies they now come in colorful purples and yellows to apricot and pastel hues. Eat the tender leaves and flowers in salads. Use the flowers to decorate desserts and drinks. All of these flowers make pretty decorations for cakes, sorbets, or any other desserts, and they may be candies/crystallized as well.

Herb Flowers:

Most herb flowers are just as tasty as the leaves and are very attractive when used in your salads. Use the petals in any dish you were already going to flavor with the herb.

Alliums (leeks, chives, garlic, garlic chives)
Known as the “Flowering Onions.” There are many different kinds that includes the familiar onion, garlic, chives, ramps, and shallots. Their flavors range from mild to strong and garlic. All parts of the plants are edible. The flowers tend to have a stronger flavor than the leaves. Eat the leaves and flowers in salads. The leaves can also be cooked as a flavoring with other vegetables in soups, stew and sauces.
Chive Blossoms have light onion flavor and aroma. Separate the florets and enjoy the mild, onion flavor in a variety of dishes.
Garlic Blossoms can have white or pink flowers, and the stems are flat instead of round. The flavor is milder than the garlic bulb, wonderful in salads.

Angelica
Flower range from pale lavender-blue to deep rose; and the flavor is similar to licorice. Angelica seeds and stems can be candied or used in liqueurs. The young leaves and shoots can be added to a salad. In many countries Angelica is considered a vegetable and eaten raw.

Basil
Flowers range from white to pale pink or even a delicate lavender. The flavor of the flower is milder than the leaves. Basil also coming in different varieties that taste like lemon or mint. Sprinkle over salad or pasta for a splash of color and burst of flavor.

Bee Balm
Also called Wild Bergamot, Wild Oswego Tea or Monarda. Wild bee balm tastes like blend of oregano and mint. The red flowers can have a minty flavor. Any place you use oregano, you can use bee balm blossoms. Use the leaves and flower petals in both fruit and regular salads..

Borage
Borage has lovely cornflower blue star-shaped flowers. Blossoms and leaves have a cool, faint cucumber taste. Use in punches, lemonade, gin and tonics, sorbets, chilled soups, cheese tortes, and dips.

Chervil
Chervil has delicate white flowers with an anise flavor.. add at the end of cooking or sprinkled on in its fresh, raw state in salads. Since Chervil’s flavor does not do well being dried or too much heat.

Chicory
Chicory has an earthy flavor; you can eat either the petals or the buds. Chicory has been compared to endive.

Cilantro/Coriander
Use leaves and flowers raw as the flavor fades quickly when cooked. Sprinkle to taste on salads, bean dishes, and cold vegetable dishes. Like the leaves and seeds, the flowers have a strong herbal flavor.

Dill
Dill has a tangy but stronger than their leaves. Use yellow flowers as you would the herb to season hot or cold soups, seafood, dressings, and dips. The seeds are used in pickling and baking. Add flowers to butter for wonderful herb butter.
Fennel
It has a starburst yellow flowers that have a mild anise flavor. Use as a garnish with your entrees.

Ginger
Petals may be eaten raw or you can cook the tender young shoots. The white variety of ginger is very fragrant and has a gingery taste on the tongue.

Lavender
Flowers look beautiful and taste good in a glass of champagne or as a garnish for frozen desserts. Lavender works well with savory dishes as well, from hearty stews to wine-reduced sauces. Diminutive blooms add a mysterious scent to custards, flans or sorbets. Petals can have a sweet, floral flavor, slightly citrusy.

Lemon Verbena
The leaves and flowers can be used as an herbal tea, and used to flavor custards and flans.

Marjoram
Flowers are a milder version of plant’s leaf. Use as you would the herb.

Mint
Mint flowers and leaves are great in Middle Eastern dishes. Freeze and add to punches or drop into iced tea.

Oregano
Milder version of plant’s leaf. Use as you would the herb.

Rosemary
A milder version of leaf. Use blossoms and leaves to enhance the flavor of Mediterranean dishes. Can be used with meats, seafood, potatoes or dressings.

Sage
The flowers are violet-blue, pink or white with a subtler sage taste than the leaves and can be used in salads and as a garnish. Flowers are a delicious companion to many foods including beans, corn dishes, sautéed or stuffed mushrooms, or pesto sauce.

Savory
The flavor of the flowers is somewhat hot and peppery and similar to thyme.

Thyme
A milder version of the leaf. Use sprigs as garnish or remove the flowers and sprinkle them over soups, etc. Use thyme anywhere a herb might be used.)

Until next month
Merry Cooking and Blessed Eating
The Hearthkeeper

PS. If there is anything you would like to see here.. Please email me at  thehearthkeeper@gmail.com

Tags: flowers, Recipes

• Recipes

E.R. Allen May, 2011

Beltane, or May Day, is the time to release your inner Pan. Cut loose! Revel in your innocent gaiety. Take pleasure in the senses. Fertility and the Great Rite are the focus here. The God and Goddess join together, as well as many of our animal brothers and sisters.

We can honor this union through foods that resemble the phallus and vulva. Try items such as bread and pretzel sticks, bagels, doughnuts, rigatoni, tortellini, etc. Cookies, breads, and crackers can be shaped into representations as realistic as you deem appropriate, although simple ovals and rectangles will suffice.

Nature also provides symbols through bananas, peaches, asparagus, oysters, walnut halves, zucchini, and cucumbers. Foods known to be aphrodisiacs are also appropriate, including avocado, figs, pineapple, and chocolate. Of course, fertility foods, especially milk, eggs, and honey, are a great addition.

The recipe I’d like to share today combines a nod to the tradition of leaping over the Beltane fire as well as the male genitalia, while using foods that honor procreation. Last year I heard a wonderful joke, which shared a wise proverb for the men: Never leap over the bale fire sky-clad…unless you want roasted nuts.

Roasted Beltane Nuts

1.             Preheat oven to 325.

2.             In a large bowl, combine 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt.

3.             Smash 1 garlic clove and heat over medium in a skillet along with ¼ cup honey. Stir in ¾ tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like it hot!). Remove garlic clove.

4.             Stir in 4 cups roasted, unsalted nuts. Any nuts will do; pick your favorite. Or use almonds, pine nuts, and/or walnuts for a double wammy. Toss well to coat.

5.             Spread nuts in a single layer on a sprayed sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

6.             Let cool slightly. Toss with sugar and salt mixture. Let cool completely before eating.

Notes: If avoiding nuts, swap in chickpeas! Just drain, rinse, and pat dry. Roast at 350 for about 45 minutes or until crunchy. Jiggle the pan every few minutes so they brown evenly and do not burn. Then follow the steps above.

Enjoy & Blessed Be!

Tags: Beltaine, beltane, may day, nuts, pan

• Recipes

Ceilteach Moon May, 2011

While everyone is busy working to use more holistic recipes into their family’s diets, a lot of times we forget about our four legged friends. Here is just one of the recipes I personally feed my dogs, and their vet says it has really done wonders for them.

Turkey Special Recipe

Ingredients

•1 lb. ground turkey

•6 c. water

•2 c. brown rice

•1/2 c. of frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflowers.

•1 t. dried rosemary

Place the water, ground turkey, rice, and rosemary into a large saucepan. Stir until the turkey is broken up and evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to low. Let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes, before adding the frozen vegetables and cooking for an additional 5 minutes.

Tags: turkey

• Recipes

Alex Crowe May, 2011

My Sacred Home

I close my eyes and I transform from the home I know, to the home that is me. No longer am I standing in an apartment of wood and metal walls. I am standing in a field. The view is amazing. All around I can see golden wheat tickling my fingertips as I walk.

My field is in the middle of this beautiful forest. All around me are trees as far as the eye can see. They protect my little home and keep me safe. It will always be here when I return. The animals watch over it. The air is crisp and clear. All around me is warmth and love.

The smell in the air is home to me. I feel at peace, nothing like that of the life I lead, but a serene peace from deep inside my soul. I smell earth and everything that she holds dear. Around me the sounds of birds call me. Owls, strangely out at day, come to “Who” at me. I can’t see any animals around me, but I know they are there, watching me.

In the middle of my field of gold is a wonderful cabin. It is a log cabin and when I look at it, it gives me such happiness. It is what I have always dreamed of. Most homes for me have always been a simple four walls, but this home is everything I have ever wanted. I know once I step into it, there will be a massive expansion that I can do whatever I want with. I can have it be an elegant mansion or a simple cottage. Today, the cottage suffices and it is exactly what I want.

The round archway of the door beckons me to come inside. Find what I can explore. Before today, I could never make it in the archway. Something always held me back, not allowing me to go in further. Truly I have been awakened spiritually and realize that the power to overcome whatever obstacle stands between me and the door is mine. I can go in. Nothing will stop me now.

My hand grips the handle on the door and I push it open. Inside is the living area. I have a cauldron in an old fashioned fire pit on the left wall. The chimney takes all the smoke from what is cooking inside the cauldron. The smell continues to be earthy, but this time, it is homier. Like herbal soups.

There is a bed in the middle. Made of wood and very big, it has a homemade quilt on the side. Something I always wished I could do on my own was making a quilt. I always wanted one that I could pass down from generation to generation. This one is old and well loved. In it is the spirits of witches that have come and gone. I know that this one will be handed down to my own child, but which one I am not sure. One will have a great power and decide to do wondrous things with it.

I lie on the bed and close my eyes. My familiar, a small white dog that seems to change breeds whenever she chooses, lies next to me. She warms me with a glow that seems to work on its own.

When I open them, I have returned home in the real world. My sacred place I will visit again soon, but for now, I must become the mother, wife and witch I am in reality.

When I first started learning about energy and the sacred space, my husband decided he would try to take me to mine. Since I am a water sign, he tried to tell me to picture a beautiful ocean. My body and soul would not let that happen though. I kept coming back to my cabin, waiting for me in my golden field. It beckoned me and no matter how hard I would try to get to that ocean he was telling me to be at, I couldn’t get there. Sometimes, I believe, you don’t have an option where your sacred space is. It is a home given to you, not one that can be chosen. Some people say that they have made theirs, but I can’t seem to get anywhere but my cabin. Who would want to in all reality? It is a beautiful place and feels so right to me. I don’t even want to leave.

So what does that have to do with being a kitchen witch? Well, I mentioned the soup, right? I want to share a special recipe for soup with you. This is an herbal remedy of sorts. It is great for those with stomach problems, and very tasty. I was told to eat a bland diet when I had a stomach issue and it was supposed to be something close to a liquid diet, and I am not so good with liquid diets, so I compromised. I made a soup, but not so much just blah. This one has a lot of meat in it, but I also want to add a barley and mushroom soup for my vegetarian friends.

• 64oz minimum canned or home made Chicken broth
• 1/2 lb pork cubed
• 1/4 cubed ham
• Large onion diced fine
• about 1/2lb of deboned chicken cubed small
• 1/2 lb stew beef also cubed small
• 1 Large Leek
• 2 tbs chopped parsley
• 1 cup chopped spinach (drained well)
• ½ cabbage head
• Large clove of minced garlic
• 2 Tbs Olive Oil

Start your broth in a large stock pot. You want to bring this to a nice heat before adding your other items. While that is heating, in a large sauté skillet, add onion and garlic. Lightly sauté then add each of your meats individually. You want to brown them before adding to the stock pot. Once they are all in the stock pot, bring to a boil and then simmer for an hour.

After about an hour, you want to add your seasoning and vegetables. You can add salt, thyme, bay leaf and pepper to taste. You want to simmer for another half hour to get the flavors to mesh well. It will serve about ten, so make sure you have a large stock pot.

For my Vegetarian friends, here is a Barley and Mushroom Soup for you.

• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup barley, uncooked
• 1/2 lb mushrooms
• 1/2 cups onion, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh carrots, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Now, bring your broth to a low boil. Reduce your heat. Add your mushrooms, onions, carrots and celery. Allow this mixture to simmer for ten minutes or so. Add the barley and garlic and allow it to simmer for another hour. You will want to use salt and pepper and any other seasonings for taste.

With Beltane right around the corner, these will be in your pocket for a great celebration with family and friends. From my family to yours, many great blessings in your sacred space and home without.

Tags: cooking, home, Recipes, space

• Recipes

Alex Crowe April, 2011

Inner Beauty

Many times in life, women look at themselves in the mirror.  They see little imperfections and usually those little blemishes look like massive craters in their skin. Most of the time it is simply a small inconsistency in the skin or a scratch that it takes a truly trained professional to find. To the beholder, it is something far more gruesome and painful to bear. It is a nightmare to have a pimple or blackhead and in polite company is it against the rules to mention these issues surrounding beauty.

Amazingly enough, beauty is an ideal that withstands the hands of time. So many people over the years put a stigma on what being beautiful means, what it encompasses and more than anything how to capture and maintain it. Young girls are brought up to think that without pounds of make-up or without having the ability to stay forever young, they can’t be beautiful. Natural beauty is a thing of the past, forever hidden by airbrushing and layers of paste.

In my opinion, things that should be kept in your make-up drawer should be things that accentuate the positive, not cover the flaws. Everyone has their own flaws. A flaw makes them more beautiful and shows the truth behind a soul. Inner beauty should be forced to show, and if the people you are involved with on a day to day basis don’t care enough about you to find out what makes you a wonderful human being, then they lose in the end, don’t they? They aren’t worth your time in trying to take off the layers of filth that they hide behind.

In my studies, I always come across things that you can make and are easily kept to bring out the inner beauty that everyone naturally possesses. There are so many tricks that have been made over the years to help you and they have long been forgotten. These tricks are what I want to write about today. I want to see more people bringing out their truth, not the lies that they are told to use.

I will just write about the face since that is mostly what people pay close attention to in today’s world.

Eyes can say so much about a person. They are the windows to the soul. It’s like they are little two way mirrors if you know what to look for. I personally think that a little eyeliner and mascara is all that is really needed to bring a beautiful eye into sight. You accentuate the eye color and bring it forward to make them pop. You don’t have to wear gobs of eye shadow to show that you have eyes. Let your natural color carry the people you meet away.

At the end of the day though, Safflower oil is great for removing the eye make-up. Advertisers want you to think you have to pay money to buy a packet of make-up wipes or cleansers. It can be even more inexpensive if you really try.

As for your cheeks, a great idea taken from the dark ages was pinching. No, it is not just for Saint Patrick’s Day, but also for cheeks. A couple of light pinches on the cheeks every so often can bring a pink hue to the skin naturally giving the bearer a great glow. It works wonders and costs nothing. How much better can you get than that?

Now, lips are a bit trickier. You could go around biting your lip to bring color to it, but often it can bruise and it could even look a bit awkward. A great lip balm recipe is from Kitchen Witchery by Marilyn F. Daniel. Take ½ cup Almond oil, ¼ cup Cocoa butter and ¼ cup Coconut oil and melt over a low fire. Stir in 1 tablespoon honey and 2 oz. beeswax. After the beeswax has melted, add 1 ½ teaspoons of any natural flavoring (my personal favorite is cherry). Any of the cooking supplies in your kitchen will work. Mix completely and test for firmness. It needs to be firm, so if needed add more beeswax to get the desired consistency.

So, Alex, what do you do when you have an unwanted pimple show up the night before your big meeting? That is easy. Valerian root tea, often great for those restless nights where Mr. Sandman doesn’t show is also great to dabble on a pimple. It will cause the pimple to dry up and clear up on its own. Other’s teas are good for this as well, but only the Valerian root is in my cupboard.

I would love to see more people relying on the assets they have instead of the pounds of make-up they purchase. I know that over night, we will not see so many more natural faces, but if some of you out there realize that your beauty has nothing to do with what the advertising agencies are telling you then we will be better off as a people. Children should be brought up seeing how wonderful the world is instead of what the items that are dragging us down look like. They should know that they are beautiful not because of what they possess, but because of who they are, what they do and what they believe in.

I know I am a dreamer, but I want to make other’s dream as well. If more people thought that they had a sense of self and knowing they are beautiful despite what others say, we would have less people that are thinking they aren’t worthy or killing themselves. We as a people would be happier and in the long run healthier.

So, take my advice and let that beautiful person shine through you. Don’t cover it up and make people take a chisel to see who you really are inside. Show them what you have on the outside and be proud of who you are. To be honest, if they don’t like you for your own true beauty, then they weren’t worth knowing the more expensive you that you were covering up with.

Tags: Consult Your Inner Psychic: How To Use Intuitive Guidance To Make Your Life Work Better, natural

• Crafts , Herbal , Recipes

E.R. Allen April, 2011

Bean & Corn Salad

You were probably expecting something with eggs, right? We all know eggs have long stood as the symbol for fertility and of spring. This refreshing salad combines three symbosl we may have overlooked. Beans have been known to spure desire, the required action prior to fertilization. In this recipe, you will find three varieties: kidney, garbanzo, and pinto. Corn is another symbol of fertility, as it is one of our main food sources across the globe. Its bright yellow color is a nod to the Sun, as well as the daffodils and chrysanthemums that are in bloom all over my region. Onions have also been associated with fertility. Some cultures believe eating them everyday will provide virility. Whether you are tapping into the Earth’s fertility for a new venture, spiritual growth, or actual procreation, this recipe will help you along. It is a great cool salad, perfect as a side, a wrap or pita filling, or an addition to a tossed green salad.

1. Drain and rinse 1 can kidney beans, 1 can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), 1 can pinto beans, and 1 can yellow corn. Toss into a large bowl.

2. Mince 1 medium onion and add to bowl. (Don’t cry! You’re almost done!)

3. Add 1/2 cup chopped cilantro. Parsley is a good substitute if you don’t like cilantro’s peppery bite.

4. You can have a little fun with the vinegrette. I typically use equal parts apple cider vinegar to olive oil, which is quite zippy. You can adjust the ratio to suit your taste. Of course, lemon or lime juice would work well, too.

5. Stir until ingredients are evenly distributed. You can eat immediately, or let everything marinade for a couple hours to divine yumminess.

Enjoy & Blessed Be!

Tags: cooking, recipe

• Recipes